Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation. -Zig Ziglar
We are all in this together like no other event in recent history; the current crisis has the attention of the entire world. For those in the business sector, the atmosphere is tense and unsettling. Yet, crisis breeds opportunity for those who are ready to grasp it. There is hope. You can not only survive; you can thrive.
Three-fourths of shoppers polled by Coresight Research indicated that they are currently practicing social distancing. Billions of dollars are now being used to purchase items online, maybe never to return to the mainstream of brick and mortar stores.
Many stores where consumers would have shopped are experiencing an increase in online sales. This shift could become permanent. Online operations require only a fraction of the crew of a brick and mortar store. “Value retailers,” such as TJ Maxx and Kohl’s may move to the forefront, while luxury brands scramble to be seen. We are at the beginning of a new era.
By only looking at past retail trends and the current state of the world’s crisis, the picture looks quite bleak. We are all in this together and where others see walls of insurmountable problems, informed entrepreneurs see stepping stones of opportunity. No one can predict the future, but we can prepare for it.
Now is the time to reevaluate and recreate your business and step ahead of the changing business climate by considering the following practical steps:
Social scientists tell us that people will continue to stay at home more often even after the crisis ends. Consumers are hesitant to return to large crowds and exposure to many around them. They also report that they have found new connections and established new habits that will keep them closer to home. They have become more self-sufficient, and are enjoying doing so.
Many people who would have never considered online shopping before are experiencing the benefits of online shopping today. Look at the grocery store chains, for example. This is an industry that is being revolutionized. March 2020 grocers saw an increase of 167 percent in online shopping over last year. Every major grocery retailer is seeking ways to accommodate the needs of its customers, from online coupons to free delivery service.
It is hard to see the former way of running your business fade away. During this time of transition, consider what makes your business tick. What are its strengths? What values do you hold? How can you carry this ahead to this new era of e-commerce? Are there some things that have been holding you back? Now is the time to reevaluate and recreate.
Knowing that online shopping is the new normal and no longer the wave of the future, how can your business adapt? Do you want to go completely online, or could you meet your customers’ needs with a mix of avenues? Consider your options and be willing to try new options. Brainstorm offers to test for a specified period and be okay with adjustments if something doesn’t work. Give your customers calm assurances that you are adapting and invite them to join you.
As your business is reshaped, make a special effort to communicate effectively and provide a way to listen to your clients and staff. Create a survey that encourages their participation and input. Find out what your customers and employees are experiencing, and what is important to them. Reread all of your communications and make sure that they do not come across stiff and stilted. Your customers’ and employees’ opinions can make or break your business.
Take time to connect with the feedback that you receive. Numbers and charts will only take you so far. What are the stories of those with whom you deal? What are their challenges? How has this experience shaped them? How can you help?
Keep your brand and images of your storefront, products, and employees in front of your customers and potential clients. Make sure that your online presence and communications are warm and inviting. Comfort is a huge commodity at this time. Use warm, soothing tones and inspirational quotes and words of encouragement. Incorporate videos that allow them to still see you and other staff members. Offer online chats and opportunities for connection and conversation within your online site.
Customer loyalty may be less secure as online shopping becomes an option. Make sure that as you offer your products online, the experience is quick, positive, and productive. Realize that your customers may be enticed away unless you remain relevant to them. Build a new network of potential customers. Put a focused amount of time and effort into generating new leads while keeping contact with your seasoned customer base.
Your products are top-notch and you are great at what you do. That doesn’t mean that you are expected to be a natural at building an online store. Be willing to learn from others, hire e-commerce, web development and digital marketing experts as needed. Visit a variety of sites that can serve as inspiration for your own, and communicate these to your consultants.
After each new venture, take time to evaluate what is working and what is not. Offer short-term incentives and see if those resonate with your customers. Drop what doesn’t work and focus on what captures their attention. Realize that your online store is fluid and easy to adapt.
Do not abandon your dreams and plans for your business. Instead, customize them. Try steps that are easy to redirect. Plan for the future with a holistic mindset. Speaking of what lies ahead in hopeful tones will stand out in stark contrast to much that your clients are hearing from other brands. This will create a sense of confidence in your brand and staying power.
You are conducting business in a historically shifting and significant time. By learning and keeping informed of present trends will help you build your brand on your a strong foundation.
We are all in this together and one lesson that has been learned during the COVID-19 crisis is that we can’t become complacent. Storms often clear the path for future growth. By following the steps listed above, you will be able to evaluate the strengths and needs of your business and emerge stronger than ever before.
Mike Patel is the Founder and CEO of ioVista, a leading digital commerce agency specializing in eCommerce solutions. With a strong background in business and technology, Mike Patel has been at the forefront of driving digital transformations for businesses. He has successfully navigated the ever-changing landscape of eCommerce, helping companies leverage the power of online platforms to grow their brand, increase revenues, and optimize their digital presence. Under his leadership, ioVista has become a trusted partner with major technology companies: Adobe/Magento, Google, BigCommerce, Shopify, and Yahoo. He is dedicated to staying ahead of industry trends, adopting cutting-edge technologies, and continuously improving strategies to provide clients with a competitive edge. Mike’s commitment to excellence and client satisfaction is evident in every project ioVista undertakes.
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ioVista
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of circumstance and ability.
To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML, adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements, alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. Additionally, the background process scans all of the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside of it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers), both for Windows and for MAC users.
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs, there may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
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